July 18, 2024

Back-to-School Safety: 5 Things To Do Before School Starts

Not the best back-to-school timing, as major national shootings are making us feel vulnerable in public—especially on campus. 2024 school shooting numbers keep rising. We've passed 2023's total and it's only July. Here's how you and your team can start making your school safer now.

Back-to-School Safety Check

It’s that time again, when school teams nationwide prep to kick off a new year. Not the best timing, as major national shootings are making us feel vulnerable in public—especially on campus. As 2024 school shooting numbers keep worsening (we’ve already passed 2023’s total and it’s only July), back-to-school safety should be paramount for all school leaders.

Here are five things you and your team can do now to make your campus safer…

1. Do a safety eval

A possible threat only needs to find one entry point…one weak link…to enter a building and pose a dangerous risk…and safety evaluations can help you find them.

Follow this school safety checklist and consider whether its measures are in place at your school. Are there any holes? Then you should…

2. Upgrade your security

Safety should be every school’s top concern, but tight budgets—a reality for most U.S. schools—can make security upgrades tough.

But thanks to the government, private funds, and more, budget doesn’t have to stop you from upgrading your school security with next-gen technology—see if these grants can fund it.

Upgraded security needs are growing like crazy. Sadly, gun violence on campus is on the rise, and 2024 is on pace to be a more violent year than 2023…

3. Update and share your school safety policy

Do it every new school year and send brief updates a few times a year or as needed. Your staff, families, and students will appreciate it and feel safer.

Some points to consider for your updates:

Current best practices and legal requirements
Address new challenges
Promote transparency
Reduce confusion

And be sure to include your stance on student games that can become dangerous, like Humans vs. Zombies, TikTok challenges, and Senior Assassins.

4. Build your outdoor event plans

Here comes homecoming, Friday Night Lights, and fall festivals. You need your outdoor event safety plans and team—and you need it quickly.

Ensuring safety at outdoor events requires meticulous planning and careful attention to strategic and tactical factors. Too many things can go wrong, and you must prepare for everything.

Use our free guide, “Securing Outdoor Spaces and Events,” to help make your events memorable for the right reasons…

5. Fortify Your Campus Exterior

Did you know that the majority of gun violence on school campuses occurs or begins outside of the building?

Tour your grounds—with a team, ideally. Examine the parking lots, courtyards, exterior corridors, playgrounds, sport and event fields, eating spaces, etc. Is there a constant security presence in these areas?

If not, it’s time to take action. It’s far too important to overlook.

Stop Threats at First Sight, Not First Shot

In active shooter situations, the best-laid plans can turn into chaos. Protect your people by adding ZeroEyes proactive AI-powered, human-verified gun detection.